Pulsating-current-battery system



` fNomodel.) y L C. J. VAN DBPOELE.

PULSATING CURRENT BATTERY SYSTEM.

t No. 436,275. Patented Sept. 9, 1890.

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UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE.

CHARLES J. VAN DEPOELE, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS.

PU LSATlNG-CURRENT-BATTERY SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of"l Letters Patent N o. 436,275, dated September 9, 1890.

Application led April 9, 1890. Serial No. 347,231. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES J. VAN Dn- POELE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lynn, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pulsating-Ourrent-Battery Systems, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

My invention relates to a system of distributing pulsating or rising and falling currents to working-circuits, said currents being obtained from any available source of continuous current, the continuous current being by means of my present invention changed into pulsating current having a gradual rise and fall, such currents being specially adapted for the operation of reciprocating electric engines of the type forming the subject-matter of my Patents Nos. 400,801 and 401,235.

As a means of varying the current supplied to the motor-coils and causing it to rise and fall therein I employ the counter electro-motive force of a group of primary or secondrary batteries, the combinations of said elements and the working-circuits being constantly varied to produce the desired effect. An important feature of the invention consists, also, in enabling me to employ for this work and secure effectiveservice from a source of continuous current which would ordinaily be insuicient to operate the engines, and this result is produced by employing secondary batteries suicient in number or capacity to store current between impulses or during the time the machines are at rest, and to supply the same to the working-circuit when required.

The invention will be hereinafter more fully described, and referred to in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a diagrammatic view showing a simple arrangement of parts embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is also a diagrammatic view, and differs from Fig. 1

v in the arrangement of some of the parts.

ployed to drive the magnetic core of a reciprocating or other engine, the core being supposed to be moved within the field of force on the interior of said coils. A conductor C is connected to the inner ends of both the motor-coils A B.

Between the main supply-conductors 1 2 are connected a series of chemical elements C C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C 8 O9 C10. The said elements are connected in series, and from each connection between said elements ext-ends a conductor connecting the same with an insulated contact, the contacts D D2 D3 D4D5 D6 D7 D8 D9 each therefore. representing one of the elements, or where a plurality of elements are arranged to form a single unit each contact will represent one of the units, however constituted.

Contacts D and D10 are provided with connections extending beyond the group of elements, and therefore in direct connection with the supply-conductors.

A lmovable contact device E is arranged to be moved back and forth overthe contacts D to D1", and the intermediate conductor C is connected to the traveling contact E.

The elements interposed between the supply-conductors 1 2 mayvary greatly as to size, number, and construction. I iind,how ever, that the simplest form of secondary battery, comprising lead plates, separated from each other by an acid solution, will answer t-he purpose perfectly and be capable of continuous use, although other metals in suitable solutions may be used. Where the supply-current is ample, the elements may be small, but must be sufficient in number to oppose the desired electro-motive force between the supply current and the motorcoils. Where the supply-current is insufficient for the work, but constantly available, the elements may be of such size and number as to store current when not in use. The usual voltage between the plates of such elements will ordinarily, with a group of fifty cells,-

give an electro-motive force of about one hundred volts, and if the proper relation exists between said elements and the motorcoils they would be operated very efciently thereby.

Ordinarily the contact E would start on the segment D, at which point the resistance and electro-motive force of the elements connected IOO between the supply-conductors would be balanced, and the current Awould therefore flow from the supply-conductors through both motor-coils, bringing the magnetic plunger to central position. As the contact E is moved in either direction from said central point the current will rise in one coil and correspondingly fall in the other until said contact reaches the extremity of its travel,when the current flowing through one of the motor-coils would be at its maximum and minimum in the other, and vice versa. Suitable means being provided for reciprocating the Contact E, a rising and falling current will be supplied to the motor-coils A B in alternation.

The instrumentalities by which my invention is carried into effect may of course be arranged and operated in a variety of waysfor example, as seen in Fig. 2, in which a group of chemical elements is shown comprising two series of cells connected in multiple and arranged in a circle, and each element or unit of the group connected to an insulated segment of a preferably circular commutator K.

A source of continuous current is indicated at A', the main conductors l and 2, leading therefrom, being connected to the outer extremities of motor-coils A B. A counter electro-motor-force device, consisting of chemical elements, is interposed between the workingcircuit and the prime source. The said supply-conductors l 2 are also connected to the said group of elements, being attached, respectively, to t-he connections of the elements F G, so that the two groups of elements F F2 F3 F4 F5 F6 F7 F8, G G2 G3 G4 G5 WG? G8 are connected in derivation between the supply-conductors and the working-circuit. An intermediate conductor C is provided, as before described, and said conductor is electrically connected to a rotating contact-carrying arm e, provided with a contact E', which when said arm e is rotated will be caused to travel upon and make contact with the segments of the commutator K.

The arm c may be rotated in any convenient manner-as, for example, by means of a belt H, passing over a moving pulley I and running upon a pulley 7c, connected to the axis of the said arm.

The elements seen in Fig. 2 may be employed merely as counter electro-motive-force devices to vary the iiow of the main supplycurrent to the motor-coils, or they may in themselves furnish the current for operating the motor-coils; and, although I have referred to the motor-coils by way of illustration, it must be understood that any other translating devices to be operated by such a current may be substituted therefor.

As seen in Fig. 2, the contact-arm is upon segmentf, which, through element F', is connected with the supply-circuit at F. Assuming the said contact to travelv in t-he direction of the arrow, it will successively engage the segments f2 f8 f4 f5 f8 f7 f8, corresponding with elements F2 F3 F4 F5 FG F7 F8, and then the segments g to g8, representing elements G to G8, the current meanwhile falling in one coil and rising in the other, as long as the movement of the arm continues.

Many combinations and modifications other than those speciiically described Will suggest themselves to the skilled electrician, and I therefore do not limit myself to the precise details of constructionand arrangement hereinbefore set forth.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

l. In a system of distributing currents of pulsating or alternating character, an electrochemical electro-motive force device having fixed terminals of opposing polarity, the successive elements connected to a sectional commutator, a moving contact upon said commutator, and working-circuits in electrical connection between the fixed terminals and the moving contact device.

2.. In a system of distributing pulsating or alternating currents, a source of Supply spanning a number of secondary chemical elements, a sectional commutator for the successive elements, a brush or brushes traveling upon the commutator, Working-circuits spanning the elements, and an intermediate circuit between the latter connected to the moving brush or brushes.

3. In a system of distributing currents of pulsating phases, a constant current-supply energizing a set of electro-chemical elements, a sectional commutator having its sections connected to corresponding sections of the elements, a moving contact device traveling between the points of maximum and minimum electro-motive force of the combined elements, and Working-circuits connected between the fixed terminals of the elements and the traveling contact.

4. In a system of distributing pulsating currents, the combination, With a suitable source of continuous current, of a group of chemical elements spanning the supply-conductors, two working-circuits having their outer terminals connected with the supplyconductors, a series of contacts connected to and representing the units of the group of elements, an intermediate circuit connected to the inner terminals of the working-circuits and to a contact device engaging the segments, and means for moving the contact device upon said segments to vary the electromotive force of the portion of the group in circuit between either one of the supply-conductors and the intermediate conductor, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES J. VAN DEPOELE.

Vitnesses:

FRANKLAND JANNUS, STEPHEN JANNUs.

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